Witch's Cat
by MaymZ
Summary: Nyx is not your ordinary student at Monster High. She is hiding a secret. She is not the daughter of the famous family of witches the Blackwells but actually a Witch's Cat: a specially bred of werecats that can use magic and are slaves to witches. Disguised as her former mistress and on the run, can Nyx survive Monster High before her past catches up with her? *Now includes Bios*
1. Chapter 1

Le Author - Welcome to my first Monster High fic that isn't AU. I hope you will enjoy it.

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Monster High or any of the characters mentioned in this story besides Nyx, Tain, Emilia, Senora Gatia, and Lucian. I only own my characters, the idea of a witch's cat and the story itself.**

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"It is such an honor to have a Blackwell grace our halls," Headmistress Bloodgood said from her head's position on the desk between us.

I nodded and smiled warmly back at her. I was glad my glamour was working. I looked exactly like Emilia, all I had to do was act like the real thing and everything would go fine.

"Well we've been considering Monster High for a while but we haven't had the opportunity until now," I told her. "With the politics among the families at its height I decided I'd take this opportunity to see how the Monster World stands."

"Completely understandable," Headmistress said, her head bobbing up and down on the thin neck that supported it. We both glanced over to the door as a knock rang through the room. It opened a crack and a blue girl with blond hair and webbed fingers poked her head in.

"Ah Lagoona," the Headmistress said. "This is Nyx Blackwell. She is new and I thought it would be nice if you could show her around the school for the day. Nyx, this is Lagoona Blue; you'll shadow her for the day and then start your own classes tomorrow." The headless body handed me a time table. I glanced at it briefly before the Headmistress returned her head to her shoulders and stood.

I stood with her and shook her hand.

"Welcome to Monster High," she said. I tried to hide a wave of fear as returned her strong grip and turned toward the blond girl waiting.

"You can call me Lagoona," the girl said as we walked out of the main office and into the empty halls way.

She continued talking but I vaguely paid attention. I was glancing around the halls, glad they were empty of lurking students. We only passed a few as we made our way. I was glad none of them had been were; I don't want my smell to give me away on my first day.

"Well this is it," Lagoona said as we stopped in front of a pair of double doors. I peaked though the windows to see an auditorium full of students. "You can sit with me."

She opened the door and entered. I paused at the threshold glancing around.

Mr. Rotter was standing in the center of the floor and had been speaking before we entered. Now the entire class was silent, everyone staring at me. I clutched my messenger bag to my side and slowly followed Lagoona down the middle aisle toward two empty seats at the very bottom.

I stood at the bottom of the stairs as Lagoona approached the teacher and handed her the hall pass and explained who I was. Even though my glamour didn't have fur, I could still feel is standing on edge from all the stares I was getting. I could hear whispers all around as I still stood there watching Lagoona and the teacher.

" _Oooh, a new girl."_

 _"_ _Damn, is she hot or what."_

 _"_ _Aww, poor thing looks nervous. We should say hi after class."_

 _"_ _ANOTHER normie?"_

 _"_ _Why should we? She's a commoner."_

 _"_ _Cleo, be nice. It's your job as Student Council President to welcome her."_

I tried to glance anywhere but at the students whispering as Lagoona returned to my side.

"Welcome, Ms. Blackwell," Mr. Rotter said as he dusted off his jacket and stood up straighter. I heard the whispers grow louder behind me. "You may take a seat next to Ms. Blue if you like. If not you may use my desk." This caused the class to grow even rowdier.

I nodded and followed Lagoona down a row of seats. The whispers got worse and I was devastated as I noticed as I sat between Lagoona and a zombie girl with glasses that we were placed in the exact middle of the row. I was literally dead and center; the perfect spot to be stared at.

"Let us continue," Mr. Rotter said. "Ms. Blackwell you may borrow Ms. Blue's or Ms. Yelp's notebook and textbook to follow along." Lagoona pushed her text book over toward me.

I tried to follow along but my hearing was too good. The group of girls a few rows above us were especially hard to ignore.

 _"_ _Oh my Ra! A real Blackwell? Here?"_

 _"_ _What's a Blackwell?"_

 _"_ _Ain't they those witches that made Salem famous or wa'ever?"_

 _"_ _They are only the most famous, most prestigious clan of witches of the dynasty! They can trace their lineage all the way back before Merlin."_

 _"_ _A bird?"_

 _"_ _She must sit with me at lunch. I will not let a Blackwell see the underbelly of this school."_

I scrunched my eyes shut and tried to block them out. I glanced down at open text before me. I blinked in recognition. I glance over at Lagoona and noticed her brow furrowed in confusion. She apparently didn't understand it.

"Can anyone translate the phrase on the board?" Mr. Rotter asked stepping back from said board. No one raised their hand, everyone but the zombie next to me had a puzzled look on their face. A human looking boy a few rows away was scrambling his papers and looked like the only one close to answering. I furrowed my own brow.

How was this hard? It was so simple. I glanced around again as Mr. Rotter started tapping his foot in annoyance. I attentively raised my hand, earning several dubious looks from my neighbors. Mr. Rotter had a smug look on his face as he called on me.

"Yes Ms. Blackwell?"

"'One is not simply born into their life; they must make it their own'," I quoted, lowering my hand nervously.

Mr. Rotter grinned proudly at me and I tried not to shy into my seat. "Well done Ms. Blackwell," he praised. "As expected from a daughter of one of the most powerful monster families of the age. Well done."

He continued to ramble but I ignored him. I flinched when the ghouls around me turned toward me.

"Woah," Lagoona whispered in her sweet Great Scarier Reef accent seeming to ignore my flinch. It had taken me a while because I've never met one before, but I figured that she was a sea monster. "I've never seen Mr. Rotter praise anyone before. Besides Ghoulia."

The zombie next to me moaned. "That was amazing. I'm Ghoulia Yelps by the way. Pleasure to meet you." She held out a hand and I shook it gently still slightly nervous.

"Nyx Blackwell," I said brushing the white streak in my pitch black hair behind my ear. "Nice to meet you too."

"Wow, you can even speak zombie," Lagoona said from my other side. "That horrifying."

I gave her a confused look as I glanced between the two girls.

"She means awesome," Ghoulia moaned. "It's the way most of monster's speak now a days."

"Oh," I said. Growing up, we spoke like humans. Normally horrifying meant something bad. It would take awhile to get used to it meaning good.

Luckily the bell rang.

"Remember I expect your essays on the different dialects of Dragonish on my desk tomorrow morning," Mr. Rotter called to the class. The students ignored him, grabbing bags, books and pens as they shuffled out the door. I picked up my own bag and stood to walk out with Lagoona and Ghoulia when Mr. Rotter approached.

"Horrifiying job today Ms. Blackwell," Mr. Rotter praised. I tried not to fidget.

"Thank you sir," I said.

"I don't have you on my roster yet. I'd like you to take this home and complete it." He handed me a stack of curling yellowed papers. "No pressure; they will just help me figure out which level to put you in."

I glanced at the stack of papers. They were several advanced looking tests. Each question seamed to pertain to a different language. I already recognized several.

"I would like to see them on my desk by Friday. I have the greatest of faith in you Ms. Blackwell." He turned and I took that as a dismissal.

"Woah," Lagoona said in amazement as we exited the classroom and morphed with the rush of students. They seemed to part before us as we made our way down the hall. I tried not to notice that or all the stares I was getting.

"It is amazing," Ghoulia groaned from my right. "May I see the tests?"

I handed them over. She flipped though them as we made our way toward what I overheard was called the 'creepateria'. It was really going to take awhile before the monster lingo fit in. I was just glad I hadn't ran into any weres yet. I just hope I smelled human enough.

"So after lunch I have Ocean-ogre-phy but if you want you can go with Ghoulia, I think she has Clawculus," Lagoona was saying as we entered a large crowded room full of tables. Students cluttered and clustered around the plastic settings. My nose twitched at the revolting mix of rotting vegetables and greasy meats. "If not I'm sure one of the ghouls won't mind letting you tag along with them."

We stood in a line and made our way down an embankment of glass windows, behind which stood ogres and ghouls with platters of trays. Lagoona picked up a Styrofoam tray and offered it to me. I shook my head and patted my bag where my own lunch awaited me.

"I packed my lunch. I didn't know they had public meals," I said as we continued down the line. I tried to ignore my sense of smell as we continued down the line. My stomach was nauseous enough from nerves I didn't need to see the food to know it'd be worse.

We continued down the line, in slow motion as the two ghouls made small talk. I explained that I was home schooled, that I had lived in Salem since I was little, traveling a lot between there and New Goreleans. Finally the line ended and we were free. I followed them toward a table already packed with people.

"Ghouls," Lagoona said taking her seat next to a girl in pink and black. "This is Nyx Blackwell. She just moved here from Salem, the real one."

I smiled meekly and gave a half wave from the edge of the table. I looked around for a seat when a girl at the head of the table clapped her hands and two Anubis men cleared off a seat next her. I gave a better smile as I took the spot. "Thanks," I muttered.

"I am Princess Cleo de Nile," the gold girl said. "And I would like to give you the royal welcome to Monster High." She snapped her fingers and the Anubis men came back and placed a plate of grapes, pomegranates and other exotic fruit before me then stood behind us and fanned us with peacock feathered fans.

"And I'm Draculaura," said the pink girl with a sweet smile. I noticed her fangs. "And that's Frankie and Clawdeen." I gave each of them a small wave as she gestured toward a mint green skinned girl with stitches and a werewolf girl. I was blissfully thankful that the goddess had willed that she be at the other end of the table, farthest from me.

"Welcome to Monster High!" said the Frankie girl with a chipper smile.

"Nyx," I said, though it was obvious.

"So tell me Nyx," Cleo said with a pompous air. "What's it like being a Blackwell?"

I brushed my streak back again avoiding their gaze. "Well it's pretty normal I guess. I've actually never met any monsters before besides other witches."

"Is it true you guys are necromancers?" Frankie asked.

I winced. I had really hoped that wouldn't be brought up. The wolf girl hit her softly on the shoulder.

"Technically," I said. "We don't raise the dead anymore but we do still practice. Necromancy is more of a style of magic we practice than a specific type."

"Father says your family was one of the first to create zombies," Draculaura said.

"You guys created zombies?" Frankie asked. "That is voltagous!"

"The first zombies were actually slaves and resurrected love ones. The Blackwells didn't create the first zombie, though they were the ones to perfect the spell that created the species," Ghoulia moaned from the other side of Cleo. Lagoona translated it for her.

"That's wicked cool," Clawdeen said.

I tried to smile back as the girls started bombarding me with questions. I had to explain to them that most of the witch community didn't actually live in the monster world so I didn't understand most of the pop culture references they made.

"That is like so sad," Cleo said. "I couldn't imagine living in the normie world." By now I'd caught on that normie meant human.

"I can loan you my copies of CoverGhoul and Forever 13 if you'd like," Frankie said digging in her bag. "They really helped me when I was learning the ropes after I was born." I glanced at her queerly.

"I don't mean to be rude or anything, but what type of monsters are you?" I asked truly curious. "I've met zombies before but other than that the witch families only socialize with each other."

"It's no problem mate," Lagoona said with a nice smile. "I'm a sea monster from down under." I nodded.

"I'm a vampire," Draculaura smile her fangs flashing. "But don't worry, I'm vegetarian."

"I am a mummy from the long prestigious line of de Nile mummies," Cleo said with an air of righteousness. I remember vaguely learning about the de Niles while home schooled.

"I don't really know what I am," Frankie said. "I'm a Frankenstein I guess. I was born a few years ago." I stared at her wide eyed. A real Franken monster? Wow.

"And I'm a werewolf," Clawdeen said. "Most of the other wolves you see around are my siblings. Its dreadfully annoying." She rolled her eye.

"There are a lot of other monsters here at monster high too," Frankie said. "There are ghosts and ghouls. There Manny the minotaur. Duece, Cleo's boyfriend, is a gorgon. Jackson and Holt are Jekyll and Hyde's kids, they're kinda confusing, especially if you try and date them at the same time." She chuckled but didn't look put down.

"Gil's a fresh water monster and Operetta's the daughter of the Phantom of the Opera," Lagoona explained.

"We also have several hybrids as well," Ghoulia said.

"Wow," I commented. A thought occurred to me then. "Any werecats?"

"Sure," Frankie said. "There's Catty Noir, she's a famous singer and she's on tour in Boo York right now, and Catrine, that's her over there." I spotted the white werecat in purple pastels sitting with what appeared to be a gargoyle couple. My ears picked up them speaking French.

"There's also Toralei and the twins Purrsephone and Meowlody," Cleo said. "You should steer clear of them. They're nothing but trouble."

I nodded quickly. That made four attending the school at the moment. I just prayed to the goddess that I wouldn't run into them at all.

The shrill of the bell rang and lunch ended. The ghouls stood up and I joined them.

"So are you coming with me or you going with one of the ghouls?" Lagoona asked. I shrugged.

"Me, Ula-D and Clawdeen all have PD together this hour," Frankie explained as we exited into the hallway.

"I think I'll go with Ghoulia," I told the ghouls.

"'Right," Lagoona said. "I have swim meet after school so I'll see you tomorrow."

I waved good bye as we split in the hall and turned to follow Ghoulia.

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Le Author - Thank you for reading. I'd really appreciate it if you'd give me some feed back on what you think so far. I don't know how far I'll go with this. The idea just randomly came to me today. I hope you enjoyed it though. Peace.


	2. Chapter 2

Le Author - Jellos and welcome to another chapter. Thanks so much for all the feed back. It really helped. I've reread the first chapter and reread this one about twice now and I fixed some errors. I hope you enjoy it though.

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Monster High, the idea of a monster students attending high school or any of the said monster students. I only own my own characters such as Nyx, Tain, Senora, Emilia, and Lucian, and the story itself and the idea of the Witch's Were. Everything else belongs to Mattel.**

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Clawculus, I learned, was a mathematics class; specifically calculus. I don't know why they just couldn't call it that. Ghoulia helped me decipher the weird names for all the classes I had. After that I actually enjoyed myself. At first Mr. Mummy wouldn't let me do the class work though I had him this hour but he gave me the homework anyway and let me work on it while the class took notes. He said it wouldn't count as a grade but I still turned it in when the bell rang.

My schedule looked like this:

I had 4 classes a day and they would shift around over the days of the week. Some of the hours were blank and I was supposed to choose electives to fill the gaps.

Monday I have Physical Deadication (physical education) first hour followed by Fizz-icks (physics) with Ghoulia and Lagoona. Then Dead Languages with the ghouls, lunch, then Clawculus.

Tuesdays start with Dead Languages first block then the choice of either Drama, art, Choir, Band, Culinary arts or an athletics class second hour; I haven't decided yet and Ms. Bloodgood says I can try out some until I pick one. Then was an hour of Biteology (biology) followed by lunch and another Clawculus class.

Wednesday was two hours of Dragononmetry (another math class, supposedly a mix of geometry and trigonomety) then Home ick, then lunch and Study Hall or Howl.

Thursday stats with the 'art' elective I have Tuesday, then an elective choice of geo-ogre-phy, astrology, or ocean-ogre-phy; I'll probably choose geo-ogre-phy. Followed by a free period, lunch and Dead Languages again.

Finally Fridays are Biteology, Dead Languages, Study Howl, lunch and finally more PD.

Ghoulia explained that Dead Languages was mix of a literature class and a foreign language class. It made sense, I guess. She also explained where my locker would be and offered to take me there after class.

That's where we were headed after I'd turned in the homework to Mr. Mummy and headed out the class. We got stopped though just outside the door.

An orange werecat cut us off as we turned down the hall toward the main entrance. My locker was close to the gym and I was hoping to say hi to Lagoona before I went home.

"Well, well, well," the werecat said. I noticed that two Siamese twins flanked her. My fur prickled as the kitty looked me up and down and I resisted the urge to growl. "Looks like the kitty caught the birdy."

For a moment all I felt was fear. I was found out. Damn it. How?

"Go away Toralei," Ghoulia groaned a hand on her hip and her eyes rolling. Toralei glanced between us and the group chuckled.

"But I only came to say hi to the new witch in school. It's all anyone can talk about," Toralei said.

I released a breath I hadn't known I was holding. She thought I was a witch. Good.

Toralei strutted forward and lifted a claw to catch my hair as she circled us. I fought down my instincts to fight her. She apparently had deaden her nose with the cheap perfume she was wearing if she could get this close and not know what I was. I was surprised she was still alive. A cat was dead without its senses.

"Pretty hair," Toralei said with a smirk. "And I _love_ your outfit." The first part had held envy but the second only stunk of sarcasm.

I self-consciously glanced down at my outfit. Black pleated cheerleader skirt over striped tights, dark red baby doll tee with a Fall Out Boy's logo, knee high Docs with red ribbon laces, and fingerless black knit gloves. This was a normal outfit for me. There was nothing wrong with it.

"Ignore her," Ghoulia said. "She just doesn't know when to give up. She's just a kitten, all growl and no claws."

I chuckled when Toralei glanced at Ghoulia baffled. As much as she acted like she understood zombie, I doubt she actually could.

"Anyway," Toralei said with a sneer drawing our attention back to her. "Just thought I'd warn you about the school." I raised an eyebrow at this. "You see, there are different groups in this school and I suggest you choose your friends wisely. Good luck." She and her posy strutted off, thankfully in the opposite way we're headed, her tail flicking as she walked by.

Me and Ghoulia stared after them for a few minutes before we shared a glance.

"Don't worry about her," Ghoulia groaned. "She's just jealous."

I smiled genuinely as we set off down the hall. Soon I forgot my uncomfortable encounter with the Cats and was just happy my identity had not been exposed.

* * *

I locked my door and triple checked it before dropping my bag and finally releasing my glamour. I sighed in bliss as the tension of holding the spell lifted and simply slumped against the door.

Today had been exhausting. I was only at school for a half a day and I was already at my wits end. The spell was easy enough to hold, I just had to relax and stop being so paranoid that someone would find out who and what I really was. And if people knew I wasn't actually a witch of the Blackwell blood line and actually a

Witch's Werecat I'd be totally screwed. Not only would they not believe me, he'd find me that much faster.

I sighed again, this time in resignation, and bent over to unlace my boots. I toed them off and left them by the door next to a pair of converse and Old Navy flip flops. I curled and stretched my toes, my tail and claws flexing as well before I padded across the apartment toward the pre-furnished living room and throwing myself onto the couch.

The apartment was only 3 rooms: a semi large area half kitchen half living room, a bed room and a bathroom. It was small and cramped but I didn't have much stuff so it worked for me. I probably wouldn't stay here long. Just long enough to hide out at Monster High, find a job, get some money, then move on.

I was glad Senora Gatia had allowed me to have such a nice place without a down payment and with no first month's pay. She was the only one who truly knew what I was, where I came from and why I was running.

I am what is called a Witch's Were, a black werecat born and raised into slavery. We are bred to be sold to the high witch families of the world to be their pets, their companions, their servants and anything else they want us to be. The reason why is we can use magic and it shows on our fur.

A normal Were of any kind will exhibit markings and coloring custom to the natural animals they originate from. Stripes and spots are common and your born with them if you're a normal were. With witch weres, we are born pure black but as we cultivate witchcraft, we are marked by the magic.

Like my hair in my human glamour my fur is stark black. But almost everywhere but my face is covered in distinct white patters. The more elaborate and extensive the patterns and the more of your body covered, the more power you have. I am one of the most powerful witch cats of the age. At least that's what my masters told me.

I don't know my origin. All I knew since I was a kit was Emilia. When I was born I was sold the leading Blackwell family. I was companioned to the only child, a girl named Emilia. I had a decent childhood compared to most witch cats. Most masters are unfair and cruel and quick to use violence. I was raised by Emilia. I was lucky to have my mistress.

In the caste system of the witch clans and covenants, were cats are lower than regular companions. We are slaves, literally property. Normal animals are considered of higher ranking above us, for they are family, they are companions, they have a choice. We have none.

My mistress was fair. She taught me what she was taught. Allowed me to learn beyond what I was instructed. Let me explore and live alongside her instead of simply beneath her. I was truly lucky.

Senora Gatia, my land lady, is a Witch's Were too, but she wasn't as lucky. Most like her, were whipped to near death, forced to serve their master's will and whim, forced to do disgusting and degrading things. She escaped though; her master had died and on his death bed freed her. He'd cut off her tail, removing her magic and marking her as a defective, no longer of use to the families.

That was the easy way out of servitude. Most weres prey for that outcome or for their own death. I wasn't so lucky.

A harsh pounding on my door shook me from my reminiscence. Fear coursed through my veins and shattered my calm as I hopped off the couch and stared at the door from behind the arm. A thousand horrifying ideas ran though my head before the pounding continued and a voice I didn't recognized came through the door.

"Anyone there?" The voice was masculine and soft as velvet.

My heart was still pounding away and I forced myself to calm as I used both my enhance senses and magic to evaluate who was at the door. He was tall and dark and gray. At least that's what his aura was. Grey was good, it's neutral.

"Hello? Ms. Gatia said that the sink was leaking again and sent me up to fix it."

My senses told me he was being honest. I slipped my glamour back on and softly slipped to the door, glancing at myself in the framed mirror than hung over a small table.

Pale green eyes peered back at me behind a curtain of ebony hair. The signature Blackwell white streak slit the darkness in two near the front. My skin was creamy and pail and I looked like a human. Just like Emilia.

For an instant I saw through my own glamour and saw dark smooth black as night skin, soft with fur. My long tail flicked around my feet and my hands were tipped with claws. My eyes were a bright green instead of the pale green gray of my witch form. Small pointed ears peaked though black hair cut to my shoulders in a style I'd copied from an anime show. My hair didn't have the white streak, only darker tones of blues and reds and purples. In certain light, my hair didn't look black at all.

I turned from the mirror, securing my glamour in place and pulled the door open, cutting whoever it was at the door off mid stream of pounding. My green eyes met brimstone grey eyes, the color laced with fiery red.

Then all hell broke loose.

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Le me - So everyone say hi to Tain. I'm not giving away what he is yet. You'll see next chapter. If anyone has an feedback on the chapter let me know and if you guys have any specific characters that you want to make an appearance let me know. I have Venus and Deuce coming up soon. I'll see you guys next chapter, hopefully. Peace.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I, MaymZ, do not own Monster High, the idea of the children of monsters enrolled in a highschool or most of the characters in this story. They all belong to Mattel. I only own Nyx, Tain, Ms. Gatia, Lucian, Emilia, the ideas of the Witch's Cat/Were, the Blackwell family and this story.**

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I stumbled back and tripped over where I'd dropped my bag. My glamour fell but I didn't care, I just needed to be as far away from him as possible.

"Hey wait," the boy at the door called as I continued to scramble away from him.

Lucian had actually done it. Fear coursed through me as my mind recognized the creature before me. He'd actually summoned a Hell Hound. All those years of boasting that he could, never believing a word, and here was proof I was wrong.

My scrambling feet finally made enough purchase with the floor to be able to get up and bolt for the bathroom door. The bathroom had a lock on the door and as soon as the door was between me and him I set it.

My heart hammered out a beat deadmau5 would be proud of as the image of ashy black hair with ears a molten red brown cracked and showing a pulsing red inside that mirrored the cracks in his eyes clouded my mind. Other than the eyes and the ears he looked almost like a normal werewolf. If it hadn't been for his eye's I wouldn't' have recognized what he was.

Logic had returned to me as soon as the door was between us and I muttered under my breath a demon warding spell, one that would keep him from touching the door. I heard a growl rumble thought the door and my ears picked up the soft mutter of a curse. I barely recognized his heavy footsteps as they walked around my apartment; my mind was reeling.

It had only been 2 months. How had Lucian found me? I had calculated it would take him at least another month to catch up to me at the very least. Had the family supported him with their power to help aid in finding me? But then they would know his motives for wanting me alive and not dead. How had he found me?

"Senorita?" a slight knocking sounded at the door and I jumped from my curled up position at the foot of it. Senora Gatia's voice came through the door again. "Senorita, it is alright. Tain is gone. Please come out. All is safe."

I used my senses and saw the old cat's rose colored aura show no lies. I spread out the rest of my senses and sure enough the hell hound's grey aura was gone. I stood shakily and opened the door. Pale green eyes met mine with a warm smile.

"Come," the old cat said as I cracked the door open a little more. "It is alright."

I fully opened the door and glanced skittishly around the woman at the room. Seeing no hell hound I glanced back at her.

"He is not here," she said with her ever warm smile. Even though she technically had no magic anymore her smile still soothed my rumpled fur. "Come little one, I'll make you some tea."

I followed her out and curled up on the couch as she set the kettle on the burner. I still had my senses up and was seeking any breach in the security wards. So far none had been breached.

Senora Gatia handed me a cup of catnip and chamomile tea and I breathed in the heavenly aroma. My frayed nerves began to sooth as I took a sip of the warm liquid.

"I'm very sorry, Niña. I should have warned you," Senora said with a guilty frown on her soft face. "Tain meant you no harm. I'm sorry he frightened you."

I didn't say anything, just drank my tea and let the kind woman explain.

"Poor Niño was abandoned years ago. No one knew what he was and he couldn't remember his past so I took him in for a while. To repay me he helps out around the building fixing the appliances and pipes when I ask," she explained. I simply nodded.

"I'm very sorry Niña," she said. "I've forgotten over the years how bad the familias were."

I sipped my tea and stared fixedly at the table.

"So how was your first day?" Senora asked. I was thankful for the change in subject.

My heart had calmed to a slow drum that I could answer. "Alright," I told her setting my mug down. "The classes seem easy enough and the students seem nice."

"Good." A large motherly smile graced her. Then she proceeded to interrogate me on my day, every detail from the friends I had made to the condition of the food in the creepiteria to the attitudes of the teachers and even the headmistress. I guess this was what it was like to have a mother. Not that I minded.

By the end of the conversation, it was well past 10 and I noticed Senora Gatia yawn softly.

"Well, Niña," she said sweetly. "I'm off to bed, and so should you. Tomorrow will not wait forever and you will need your sleep." She stood up and took our cups to the kitchen before going to the door. I joined her there indulging her with a hug. "Benes notches Niña," she said. Then she turned and pulled the door shut behind her.

I locked the door and then returned to the couch. I pulled out the homework Mr. Rotter gave me and tried to see how much I could complete before I got drowsy. I got to last page when my eyes drooped shut and I passed out on the couch.

* * *

By 3rd period, I learned that high school life was simple yet complicated. The social and conversational mannerisms were less complex than the structure and heiarchy of the witch covens but they were far more vast and confusing. Class was easy enough and far more simple than I had expected. Mr. Rotter's face when I turned in my homework first block was near priceless.

Besides Mr. Rotter, who treated me like a prize student and gave me another set of tests to complete while the rest of the students did a pop quiz, most of the teachers brushed me off, gave me the requirements for class and left me to follow along with one of the students.

I had Dead Languages and Dragonometry with the ghouls; Clawculus with Ghoulia; PD with Ghoulia, Lagoona and Cleo; Biteology with Cleo, Lagoona, and Draculuara. For Fizz-icks and Home Ick I was on my own though. I had spent today's elective period with Draculaura and another ghoul named Abbey in Art class. I hadn't minded the class but it wasn't quite my thing. Art and music had always been Emilia's media.

I had gotten used to things and stopped worrying about my past when I walked into Mr. Hackington's Biteology and my skin bristled beneath my glamour. My senses reached out and I found the aura that had caused my fur to stand on end. There, at the table in the middle column third row deep was a pair of charcoal grey eyes cracked with fire. I averted my gaze and headed with my schedule toward the teacher at the front of the room. Luckily he hadn't seen me.

Draculaura, Lagoona and Cleo wandered off toward their assigned tables as I stood waiting for Mr. Hackington to assign me mine. I prayed to the goddess it was nowhere near the boy in the middle.

"Well Ms. Blackwell," Mr. Hackington hacked out. "I only have one spot left. You're lucky; otherwise I'd make you teacher's pet." I didn't like the sound of that. What came next was worse though.

"You'll be partnered with Mr. Hound, middle column, third seat back," he said marking my name in a square on the seating chart attached to his clipboard. "You'll need to pick up a Biteology textbook from the library along with one for Fizz-icks. Until then, Mr. Hound will more than likely share his."

I gulped and took back my schedule and made my way toward what felt like my doom. He didn't notice me until I put my stuff down under the table, dug out a pen and notebook and sat on the stool next to him.

I didn't say anything even though I could feel his scrutinizing stare. I just focused on the teacher and wished that I was partnered with one of the ghouls. I'd heard that hell hounds can see through glamours and I prayed to the goddess that it wasn't true. Out of everyone it had to be him. I tried to cheer myself up by thinking it could be worse, and it could: Lucian could have found me yesterday.

Senora Gatia said he wasn't part of any coven; that he barely knew his own past but something about him didn't set right with me. And the fact that he knew I was a marked witch's cat didn't help the situation at all. I was lost in a daze of paranoia when an elbow knocked into mine.

I glanced up from my doodle I'd been sketching and looked up into brimstone eyes. My pulse quickened as he lifted his chin to gesture toward the front of the class. I hesitantly looked toward the front of the class where Mr. Hackington cleared his throat and asked a question I had apparently not heard.

"Ms. Blackwell," Mr. Hackington boomed. "Would you please explain the structure of a cell?"

The question was to teach me a lesson for dozing off and to embarrass me as the new student before the class but I found the question surprisingly easy. His slight smirk softened into a flabbergasted frown as I recited from memory what I knew. A few of the students shared his expression as well. I glanced around at the ghouls.

Draculaura beamed at me while Lagoona gave me a hidden thumbs up and Cleo stared pointedly at me with her jaw slightly agape. The class was quiet with only the sound of the flies buzzing around Mr. Hackington.

"Very good Ms. Blackwell," Mr. Hackington said, dismissing me and resuming the lesson.

I turned when I heard a soft chuckle from my right. I found a goofy grin and brimstone eyes smiling at me. Something about the smile in his eyes made my cheeks warm and my pulse quicken this time not in fear. I looked down and shifted my head so that a curtain of hair separated me and his gaze. I didn't look back up until I felt his gaze move and his attention turn to Mr. Hackington who was assigning us classwork from the text book to be due before the end of class. I watched as he flipped open the text book between us to the right page then got to work.

"This is an individual assignment so I expect no talking of any sort," Mr. Hackington croaked as he moved toward his desk.

I flipped the page in my notes and got to work on the questions. I was almost done with question two when a folded slip of paper was pushed into my line of sight. I glanced over at my neighbor who seemed hard at work. He must have felt my eyes on him because he looked up, locked eyes with mine then nodded toward the folded paper before going back to work.

Hesitantly I unfolded the paper. In neat handwriting was a message. It read: (AN: Tain's messages are in **bold** while Nyx's are in _italics_ )

 **Sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean to scare you. Ms. Gatia had told me why you ran.**

I glanced back over at him wondering how much Senora Gatia had told him. I kind of guessed she would explain some things but I wondered how much she had told him; I hadn't even told her the whole truth, fearing it would lead Lucian to her door. He didn't' look up this time. I decided to write back. My loopy script contrasted his strong block letters.

 _What did she tell you?_

I refolded the sheet and slipped it toward him. I pretended to focus back on the question while I watched out of the corner of my eye as he took the paper back, read what I'd written, and wrote a response. I finished question three when he slipped the sheet back my way.

I gave it a minute and answered number four, postponing. Finally I gave into curiosity and opened the paper up.

 **That you're on the run from a bad home and that someone may be after you.**

I glanced up and found his eyes on me. Our glances crossed and I could see the empathy coursing through the veins of orange in his eyes. I turned back to the note and scrawled my response.

 _I'm Nyx Blackwell._

I closed the note and slipped it back. Before I could right down my answer for question five he pushed it back my way.

 **Taint Hound, you can call me Tain though**

Something about giving me permission to call him by a familiar name warmed my heart. In the witch world names held power and the more personal the name the greater the power. This is why most witches hide their true name and only go by their titles. I wrote back a response with a smile.

 _Nice to meet you Tain_

I slipped the note back and glance up to share the smile with him as well. The one that lit up his face made my cheeks warm and sent a tingle through the pit of my stomach. I glanced down and focused on my work getting through a few more problems before the piece of paper returned to me.

 **May I ask a personal question?**

I chewed my lower lip catching it in my fangs. Even with a glamour on my teeth were unnaturally sharp. I glanced over at Tain before deciding to trust him.

 _Just one_

I waited anxiously for his answer. I finished the last question, tore out the page in my note book and went to the head of the class to turn in my work. Mr. Hackington gave me a glare but didn't say anything so I returned to my seat to find the note on my notebook, the text book closed and Tain walking to the front of the room with his own work. I flipped it open to see what his question was.

 **You obviously know what I am, but what type of monster are you?**

I glanced up to see he stood in a small line to turn in papers. I had been the first but it seemed as I had walked back to my seat everyone had gotten up to turn in their paper. It seemed I still had a bit of time to debate what to put down as my response.

I twisted a lock of hair between my fingers as I pondered how much to tell him and how much he knew. I didn't get a chance to though as the bell rang and he made his way back to our desk. I scribbled a hurried answer, tucked it in his text book and packed up my stuff and joined the ghouls to leave.

I glanced back at the door to find him reading over my last answer.

 _I'll tell you tonight. My place, 6 o'clock_

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Le Author - Hellos and first off, I'd like to thank you for reading my story so far. I still have no clue where I'm going but the views and comments give me inspiration to continue writing, so thank you.

Anyways, what do you guys think of Tain? Also for those of you waiting for the other cast of MH to pop up, please wait. Next chapter will definitely have Venus and Deuce. So please hold on. If you have any favorite character's that you'd like to make an appearance let me know and I'll try to write them in.

Thanks so much for all your support. See you soon. Peace


	4. Chapter 4

Zumachi-chan - Hi everyone. Sorry it's been so long since the last update. I've been busy trying to get a job. I finally go one. But I haven't completely forgotten about this story. I've actually been spending most of my time rereading and editing the story so I could post this chapter. I'm trying to keep it so that I've at least written a chapter ahead of what I've posted so that I know where I'm going. That's kinda why I didn't post for so long cuz I was having serious issues with the next chapter. You'll see when I post it.

Anyway, I won't keep you any longer. Also for those of you Deuce and Venus fans, they pop up this chapter. Anyway thanks for waiting and hanging in there. Without further ado, Chapter 4 of Witch's Cat.

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 **Disclaimer: Mattel owns monster high and its students and faculty. I own Ms. Gatia, Nyx, Tain, the Bane of the Sky and this story.**

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All through lunch I vaguely listened as Cleo dragged on and on about a pair of heels she'd just bought off the internet. I was still fretting over my decision to meet Tain after school and wondering if he would even show. I wondered if leaving him clueless as to what I was was a good thing or a bad thing. He seemed like I could trust him and his aura was a nice shade. His warm smile surfaced in my mind and my heart picked up again as a warmth entered my cheeks.

I felt a finger poke my side and I nearly jumped off the bench. I turned to find Ghoulia's concerned stare.

"Are you alright?" she moaned at me. "You've barely eaten."

I glanced down at beans and rice that Senora had handed me this morning. She really was like a mother.

"I'm fine. Just lost in thought," I said picking up my fork and taking a bite of the spicy food.

"Thinking about a certain dog eared Biteology partner?" Cleo asked.

I looked up with shock and near horror on my face. She and Draculaura only smiled encouragingly at me.

"We saw you and Taint passing notes in class," Lagoona said.

"Not to mention smiling at each other," Cleo added in. I was glad I had my head tilted downward so they couldn't see the embarrassment that flushed my cheeks.

"Don't worry mate, we won't tell," Lagoona said encouragingly patting my shoulder.

"You two do make a cute couple," Draculaura commented. "But no pressure."

"Wait, who are we talking about?" Frankie asked.

"Taint Hound," Draculaura responded enthusiastically. "You know, slightly dark redish brown skin, longish shaggy black hair, red brown doggy ears that look like stone. Kinda looks like half werewolf half gargoyle."

Clawdeen's face scrunched into a disapproving look. "Sometin' ain't right about that boy," she said across from me. I thanked the goddess that my glamour seemed to be working considering she hadn't sniffed me out yet. "He don't smell like a normal wolf. Maybe he is half gargoyle."

I held my tongue as I pushed around a black bean through my rice. It seemed no one knew that Tain was a hell hound. They were rare and hard to come by and most had been wiped out during the last witch war. The way Tain had reacted when I knew what he was made it seem like he didn't want people to know. I knew the feeling. Hell hounds and witch's cats were in the same boat when it came to being public. The witches kept us to themselves and treated us poorly. Among the regular monster community, we were feared and treated just as badly, if not worse.

I swallowed a bite of rice lost in thought when Ghoulia poked me again. I glanced up a bit bewildered. When she didn't talk I glanced around the group. Everyone was staring at me expectantly.

"Well?" Frankie asked, her bolts sparking in anticipation.

I must have missed something vital because they all rolled their eyes at me when I cocked my head to the side queerly. I turned to Ghoulia.

"They want to know if you like Taint or not," she moaned with an eye roll of her own at the group. "If you think he's 'cute'."

"Oh," I said a little shocked. I felt my cheeks flush uncontrollably. "I… I hadn't thought about it," I told them ducking my head. "Back home I wasn't really allowed to, you know, date or anything. My family was pretty strict about it. Most of the higher witch families are. They try to keep the bloodlines pure."

Everyone gave me a pitying look. I just went back to fiddling with my rice. It was the truth; the witch families still practiced arranged marriages and didn't allow relationships outside of the coven. But that was for the witches. For us weres, we were paired only to mate and produce young. Some of us never got the chance, and romance of any kind was prohibited and beaten out of you if you even glanced wrong as someone else, even if it was at another were.

"That's harsh mate," Lagoona said. "Gil's parents were like that for a while, you know, with me being salt water and them being fresh water. They came around eventually."

I tried to smile honestly at her but I don't know if it worked.

"I don't know what I'd do if Father tried to keep me away from Clawd," Draculaura said cutely. I was confused at first that a vampire and werewolf would date but I guess things weren't as old aged as the witch families anymore.

"My brother'd probably kidnap you and rip your father to shreds," Clawdeen said taking a bite out her steak. I smirked with her. "He's crazier than the moon about you."

"My father had this huge fit over Deuce and I ages ago," Cleo sympathized. "He still disapproves and Nefera is no help at all. But…" she shrugged and that was that.

I gave the group large smile before anyone else could give me another love story. "Thanks guys but I'm fine. He's cute and all but I have too much on my mind right now to worry about getting a boyfriend," I told them. "Anyway, I better go. Ms. Bloodgood wants to see me before lunch ends." I cleaned up my lunch, picked up my bag, waved to the ghouls goodbye and exited the crowded creepeteria.

I chewed on my lower lip as I made my way toward my locker to drop off my lunch before heading to class. I hadn't exactly lied about Ms. Bloodgood. She'd told me to stop in when I could but I planned to do that after school. I had just needed to get away for a little while so I could think.

After my locker, I wandered around the school and found myself walking out to a courtyard. It was mostly empty except for a couple of students drifting around enjoying their lunch. I kept walking and made my way toward the edge of the woods that surround the campus. I dropped my books at the base of a tall oak tree and sat against it. I was close enough to the school to hear the bell when it was time to leave, but until then I'd enjoy the quite.

Back in Salem, the Blackwell Manor sat at the top of a large hill with a dense forest around it. The woods had always been my safe haven, my escape from the dismal world of servitude.

A branch snapping caused me to jump at least five inches off the ground. I found a vibrantly pink and green girl step out of from behind my tree. Her skin was green and she had vines twining around her wrists and skin like moss. I think her name was Venus. She was in my Dead Languages class. I'd asked Frankie and she'd told me she was a plant monster, a semi rare species of monster.

Venus looked down at me with almost a glare. Out of habit I looked away and tried to blend into the background and be as inconspicuous as possible. I glance out of the corner of my eye and saw her pick a black flower off the vine that grew around the tree I rested against. She held it out towards me.

"He says he can help you," Venus said in a soft voice. I took the flower hesitantly. "It's a Night Sky Drop. Put him in water as soon as you get home and put somewhere dark and away from sunlight. He knows you'll know what to do with him when you need him." She turned to walk away before she stopped and turned again to face me as if she heard someone call her name. I heard the bell ring from the school behind her but she didn't turn around.

"He says you can put him behind your ear while you're at school," Venus said analyzing my face. "We both agree it will complement you very nicely." She turned then and joined the gaggles of students as they rushed to class.

When she was finally gone I glanced down at the flower in my hand. It had 6 large inky blue black petals that spread out like a lily but curled inwards at ends. Under those pedals were 6 smaller petals that came to a point and drooped with a tear drop bulb of clear resin on each end. Ever petal was covered in millions of tiny specks of white that made the flower look like it was cut out of the night sky. The petals surrounded a creamy gray center like that of a daffodil. If you looked at it right, it looked like I was holding the moon surrounded by the night sky in my hand.

 _Nyxus Estellana_. Night Sky Drop, also called the Bane of the Sky. A very rare and powerful herb used in brewing potions of living death and sleeping draughts. In the witch world, nothing was rarer.

I carefully put the bloom behind my right ear, brushing back the streak of white and pinning it with the flower. I then stood up and collected my things. I checked the clock tower of the schooled and cursed my luck. I sprinted across the lawn, but it was too late. The bell shrieked before I could even enter the school again.

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The class room was dead silent. I had tried to sneak in but the door's groan gave me away. The entire class looked my way again and embarrassment flushed my cheeks.

Mr. Mummy stood at the front of the class and simply nodded my way before continuing on with his lecture. I slunk my way to the only open seat, the last seat of the last row in the back. I silently put my gear down and took out the notebook I'd designated for Clawculus.

I tapped the boy with sun glasses and a green Mohawk next to me. "Can I borrow your notes please?" I stage whispered.

He silently raised an eyebrow before showing me his paper. I noticed it was all written in Greek. I smile at the boy.

"Μην ανησυχείτε. Μπορώ να διαβάσω Γοργώ επίσης.," I told him. He returned my smile and pushed the notes my way. I quickly copied them down then passed the note book back his way. (A/N: What Nyx says is pronounced Min anisycheíte. Boró na diaváso Gorgó epísis and means _Don't worry. I can read gorgon too._ in Greek)

For the second time that day a slip of paper was pushed my direction. This time for practicality since Mr. Mummy had a silence rule unless you raised your hand and were answering or asking a question. The penalty was detention.

This time the paper was open with the green boy's neat green Greek letters. I'll save time and tell you what we wrote to each other in English. (A/N: Duece's comments are in **bold** , while Nyx's are in _italics._ Ghoulia's later note is underlined)

 **You must be Nyx. Cleo told me about you. I'm Deuce Gorgon, Cleo's boyfriend.**

I scribbled back an answer in my own purple pen.

 _Nice to finally meet you._

I wrote back in Greek then passed the paper back. As Deuce wrote back an answer, I turned back to catch Mr. Mummy ask for an answer to the problem on the board. I raised my hand and gave my answer. He congratulated me then turned to the board to explain how to get the answer. I turned back to find Deuce's slightly bewildered look, at least it looked bewildered without being able to see his eyes. I glanced down to notice he still had the note. He noticed and finished his response while I took notes.

The paper slipped my way and I finish the page and turned to it. There were two lines of comments this time. The first read:

 **You too. Cleo says you're top of the class and can do magic and from a big deal witch family.**

The second was simpler:

 **Heath was right. You are freaky smart.**

My brows scrunched in confusion. I glanced up as the slide changed and wrote a quick response.

 _It's true about the magic and my family, though I wouldn't really say we're that big of a deal. Who's Heath?_

I slipped the paper back his way and hurried to take the notes before it could change. Luckily it was the last one and Mr. Mummy gave Ghoulia the assignment to pass out to the rest of the class. I relaxed back into my seat and read over Deuce's note.

 **Heath Burns, fire elemental, yellow skin, flame hair. He's a friend of mine. He's in your Biteology class.**

I vaguely recalled an obnoxious yellow skinned boy in Biteology who seemed to have flames for hair. I couldn't entirely remember if his name had been Heath, since I had been preoccupied with Tain. The only reason I remembered him at all was because while I'd been walking to my place next to Tain, the boy had winked at me and whistled a cat call.

Deuce must have noticed my still perplexed look because he pulled out his phone, I think Draculaura called it an iCoffin, and pulled up a picture of him and 4 other guys. I recognized Clawd and Gil. I'd met Gil yesterday when I went to say hi to Lagoona at practice before heading home and Clawd had walked Draculaura to class this morning. Deuce pointed to a yellow boy with orange hair standing on the end to the left. That was definitely the boy who had cat called me.

I still didn't recognize the other boy. He seemed to be a Minotaur but I couldn't be entirely sure. I pointed toward him glancing up at Deuce with a curious look. He put the phone down and took our paper and wrote something down. I glanced over his shoulder to read it.

 **Manny Taur, Minotaur.**

He glanced up and I nodded in understanding. He picked up his phone again as it buzzed against the desk. We both flinched at the semi-loud noise but luckily Mr. Mummy was in the middle of talking with a student to notice. We both released sighs of relief.

Just then Ghoulia arrived at our row and handed the last of the papers to us to pass down. I took the top page as Ghoulia made her way down the stairs toward her desk in the front row. I noticed a sticky note with Ghoulia's simple hand on my paper.

I have to head to Fearleading (cheerleading) practice right after class. I'll see you tomorrow. If you need anything call me at 666-446-8542 or email at me at DeadFast#1

I put the sticky note aside and sighed. I didn't have a phone or computer. Magic had issues with technology. Sometimes things were normal and nothing happened. Other times they shorted each other out. Necromancy, which is more scientific than most magic, most of the time cooperated flawlessly with technology to the point that it seemed like they were connected. That just meant the error that occurred were more devastating and likely to more often. And that was good enough reason for the witch families, whether necro or not, to avoid modern electronics as much as possible. No TV, no phones, no video games, no computers. Besides why bother when we had magic.

I guess the downside is that unless you're a witch, you need technology to keep in touch with your peers and with the world. If I was going to live outside the world of the witches I would have to adapt; which probably meant getting a phone of some sort.

I sighed once more before turning to the assignment before me. The passing note bumped my elbow before I could really focus on it though. I glanced up to see Deuce glancing at me worriedly. I glanced at the paper between us. He was still writing in Greek.

 **You ok?**

I sighed and resigned myself to tell the truth. I wrote back in English not wanting to waste a few seconds to figure out the translation into Greek Gorgon.

 _Ghoulia gave me her phone number but I don't have a phone. Magic doesn't mix with technology very well sometimes_

I slipped the paper back his way. I glanced at the clock. We still had 25 minutes until school got out. 2 hours and 40 minutes until Tain would be arriving at my apartment to talk. Luckily Deuce's response dragged me away from that train of thought.

 **I think Cleo has an old one you can have. She seems to get a new one every few months. I'll ask her about it.**

I glanced up to find him smiling at me and I couldn't help but smile back. I wrote a thank you back and the rest of class seemed to turn into a blur of our paper passing back and forth. Deuce had to copy my answers when one of the other students came to collect the papers; he'd forgotten it between our note passing, a game on his phone he let me try and texting Cleo.

Overall I had to say my 2nd day off school went pretty well.

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Le Me - So that's all for right now. But I have a special treat for you guys. Ok for those of you who visited the original Monster High website, you might remember that when you went to the bios there was a special Monster High skull icon that was personalized for each monster high character. I've made my own for Nyx and Tain. If you want to see them I'll put them as the icon for this story ( or find some other way to share them with you all. maybe i should finally get a deviant art). Anyway, if you guys want to see them let me know. And if you like them I'll find a way to share the remakes I'm doing for the rest of the Monster High cast.

Thanks so much for reading. See you later. Peace.


	5. Chapter 5

Zumachi-chan - Ellos Jellos everyone. I'm really sorry it's taken so long for this chapter to get posted. I technically had this chapter done but like I've said I like keeping at least a chapter ahead of what I post and I couldn't figure what to do after it. I finally figured it out and I think I may post another chapter either later tonight or sometime this week; more than likely Thursday since that's the day I have off. And for a heads up on those of you reading my other stories, I got a job at DQ so until I find a rhythm posting may be sparratic and based on when I get inspiration, so I appologize ahead of time.

Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter.

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At first 6 o'clock couldn't come fast enough and then it seemed to come out of nowhere.

I had stopped by the library to pick up my books for class and then by the gym to glance at the girls practicing Fearleading and waved to Deuce on the other side of the gym practicing Casketball. I had taken my time on my way back, being careful to keep to myself while taking in the town better. I don't have a car but it isn't that far of a walk and I don't mind. I even stopped by to say hi to Senora Gatia.

By the time I'd returned to my room and kicked off my shoes it was only 4:25. As soon as I saw the clock, my thought's drifted to Tain and our conversation.

I forced myself to forget about the time and the future to put my stuff away. By the time I had settled on the couch to do my homework, I couldn't focus. I stared at my flower that sat on a dark shelf in a tall simple glass and let my thoughts wander.

What would I tell him? I could simply tell him I was a just a witch and what he'd seen was a lie but if what I knew about hell hounds was true then he could see though my glamour no matter how strong it was. And if he could see though it, he knew I was actually a werecat with magic. He obviously didn't know what I was specifically which meant Senora hadn't told him. Then again it was considered taboo to reveal yourself as a Witch's Cat outside of your witch's family. Could I get away with just telling him that I was just a simple werecat? I chewed on my lip until my fangs pieced it and I tasted blood.

I licked my lip clean and a growl rumbled through my gut. It clenched and my vision blurred in a wave of dark geometric shapes. Bright sparks of color tingled behind my eye lids as the price of my magic finally took its toll against my body. When my vision cleared I found myself doubled over; a fierce hunger tore at my intestines and my blood was like acid in my veins. I needed to eat.

I stumbled off the couch and toward my fridge. It was mostly empty but I grabbed what I needed. I tore the flimsy plastic cling wrap and dug a claw under a corner of the raw fillet. My stomach and pulse purred in satisfaction as I downed the steak whole, the juices running down my chin. I wiped them away and shakily made my way to the bathroom.

I flicked the light on and turned on the tap. I scrubbed my face until all ruminants of my feast were washed down the drain. I glanced up and made sure my lip was no longer bleeding to cause another wave of hunger. The small piercing was slowly healing.

Exhaustion washed over me as I braced myself against the sink. What was I doing? Was I insane? I don't know how long I could keep this up. Any longer and I'd probably end up dead before Lucian could get to me.

I glanced into my reflection and found my pupils still slit. How could I think this was a good idea? How could I have thought this would work? Sure it was the only option I had that I could live with but it wasn't the only one. This option was just preferable to death.

I must have stared at myself for a long time because I was jolted from my staring contest by the pounding on the front door. I slipped my glamour on and headed for the door, curious who it was. This time I did the smart thing of peeking through the peephole and found Tain standing slightly awkwardly outside my door. Something fluttered in me at seeing him so obviously uncomfortable as he shuffled his feet and waited for me to open the door.

I take a deep breath to chase away the remnants of my hunger and calm my nerves. No backing down now.

I pull the door open and met his dark eyes. We stand there awkwardly until he finally spoke.

"Can I come in?" he asks. "Or would you prefer…" He half shrugs, half gestures to the balcony that connected all apartments together.

"Oh, sorry," I say a little flustered stepping back to let him in. He walked past me and into the small entrance. I caught his smell: ash, smoke, stone and something else. I couldn't pin down what it was. I close the door then slide past him into the living area. "Would you like some tea?" I ask needing something to do.

"Sure."

I fiddle with the kettle and got down two cups. I could feel his eyes on me and tried not to squirm under his gaze. I could feel him hesitate before he finally spoke.

"If…" I freeze, waiting for the inevitable, wondering where he'd start. "How do you do it?" he asks bluntly.

I turn around slightly shocked. "What do you mean?" I ask. I couldn't guess what he meant because I honestly didn't know if what I knew about Hell Hounds was true or not.

"I don't know." He stood queerly in the middle off the room glancing around. It seemed he didn't know what he was really asking. He glances up at me and I noticed that his eyes seemed to fluxuate between being focused and unfocused as he looked me over. "Every time I look at you, I see two of you," he said finally. "Like two images are overlapping. It happens every time I look at you. Except…" He glanced shyly off.

"Except when I ran from you," I say quietly. He glances at me again and I noticed his eyes still fluxing.

"What are you?" he asks.

I sigh and close my eyes. If he could see me, the real me, beneath the glamour then there was no way I could lie my way out of this. I made my decision and met his grey eyes.

"What exactly did Senora tell you about me?" I ask. I still needed to know what he knew. It'd make it easier to know what I would tell him.

"Only that you ran away from a really bad family and that they may be after you and what… I am, made you think they had found you," he said.

His aura changed from the slightly buzzing grey mess it was in confusion and awkward tension to a hard black at the mention of himself. Senora had said he'd been abandoned and remembered none of his past. I wondered if he actually knew what he was and what it meant. Empathy bloomed in my heart at the thought of the suffering he'd have gone through if he hadn't known what he was and tried to live under the prejudices of the monster community. Hell Hounds were rare enough that not many monsters would know what exactly he was, but those who did recognize him would shun him and that's nearly as bad as a cruel master.

The kettle whistled and I turned around to pour water into a tea pot over the strainer and tea leaves I'd prepared. I set the timer and put the lid on the pot. I moved the cups and pot to the small dining table that occupied most of the space of the kitchen. I bit my lip not really sure what else to do. I looked back over at Tain.

He was looking at me again and his aura was back to the confused buzz. I watched as his face scrunched up as he tried to focus on me. I debated whether to drop my glamour. "Ms. Gatia said you're what she used to be. She wouldn't tell me anything else besides that. That it was your choice to tell me or not," he told me.

I needed to personally thank Senora Gatia. She continued to go above and beyond for me. We were the same species and we shared the horrors of being owned but she still barely knew me. I had a target on my head and she still wanted to help me even if meant she could get hurt. It was too much.

I sigh and plop down in one of the two chairs at the small table. I glance up at Tain and noticed he was still standing. "You might wanna sit down for this," I tell him, gesturing to the other chair. He sits and I poured the tea. I take a sip and breathe in the soothing aromas before gaining the courage to finally reveal myself. I sigh before starting.

"Have you ever heard of a Witch's Were or a Witch's Cat before?" I ask.

He shook his head softly then glances into the amber liquid in his cup. "Is that what you are?" he asks glancing up into my eyes.

I could only nod. "A Witch's Cat is a special breed of black werecats," I told him. "We're not like normal weres though. The difference between me and every other were is that I can use magic." I lifted my hand and traced a sign in the air. Tain's eyes bugged as the tea pot floated my way and poured itself, refilling my cup. It then floated over to Tain's cup and refilled what he'd drunk. The pot floated back in between us and softly landed on the table, exactly where it had been.

I nurse my tea and let what I'd done sink in. He didn't seem too shocked. Then again lots of monsters had different forms of magic. He was watching me again and it seemed he was trying to concentrate on my image.

"If…" he started. He took a second to compose what he wanted to ask. I could almost see the thousands of questions swirling through his mind. "If you're a were, why do you look like a witch?"

The cat was finally out of the bag. "I wear what's called a glamour," I told him. I hesitate for a moment, nervously chewing on my lip as I decide how to proceed. After a few seconds I couldn't figure out what to say and Tain looked about ready to ask another question so I let the glamour slip and fall. My bright green eyes met his grey and I noticed they were finally focused. He gazed at me appraisingly taking all my new details, from the long curled tail that swished at our feet to the triangle ears that peaked through my hair. I tried not to react as he inched closer, examining my face with a strange intensity. "It's essentially a second skin," I said nervously. Even by reading his aura, I still couldn't tell what he was thinking. "It's a cloak of magic that's undetectable and disguises the wearer from all who look upon them."

"Then why can I see through it?" he asked, his aura tinging gold with curiosity.

My tongue tied itself into a knot and I played with the rim of my cup. To be honest I don't know why he could see through it. Not much was truly known about hell hounds. Everything I knew was rumors. If he honestly didn't know, how should I?

"Magic… doesn't seem to affect… your kind in the same way it does others," I say cautiously. Him being a hell hound seemed to be a touchy subject and I couldn't blame him.

His aura darkened again but it seemed to smooth itself out faster than last time.

I don't know what I expected next but I didn't entirely expect his acceptance of the glamour so easily. Nor the easy dismissal of me knowing that he was a hell hound, and that I may or may not know more about what he could do than he did.

"Why do you wear it?" he asked simply. I glance up into his grey eyes. He seemed to be surprisingly relaxed; his aura was calm and was tinted blue with peace, like a worrysome problem had resolved itself cleanly and smoothly.

I swallowed and put my cup down. "To hide," I tell him. He gave me a slightly perplexed look. "Senora told you I was running from someone right?"

He nods.

I avoide his gaze. "They were my owners," I tell him. Memories invaded my mind and I tried to hurry on. "Witch's Cats are bred into captivity, specifically to witches." I swallow a lump in my throat. "When we're born we're sold into servitude to witches, either as personal companions or to the household or coven in general. We serve them anyway they want us, from household maids to…" I swallowed as horrors I'd only heard of in rumors surfaced. "… other things. We serve the house. In exchange we are given access to magic. But we are still owned. And we cannot leave. The only way a Were can leave the house is through the death of its master."

"Is that what happened to you?" he asks.

"Yes…." I pause. "And no."

* * *

I glance at the clock and noticed it was midnight. Tain had left 4 hours ago and I was still going over what I'd told him. It still amazed me how easy he seemed to take it. Even with his unease about himself, everything seemed to have gone smoothly. And that left me to nitpick at the only flaw in it all.

After the confession of what I was and what I could do, I couldn't seem to bring myself to tell him what had happened to me. It's one thing to say you're on the run from bad people. It's entirely different matter to explain why.

I pull my knees up and rested my head against one. I can't explain why I didn't tell him that I'm accused of murdering my mistress and on the run from her betrothed who has plans of his own for me besides the retribution for my crimes.

A sweeping feeling of ice cold realization settles in as I understand why I didn't tell him.

Dread mixes with a thousand fears as I drop my knees back to mattress and fall flat against the bed. I roll onto my side and clutch at the peach comforter.

I want him to trust me.

I had always been alone. Being a personal companion set me apart from the other weres and servants of the household. I was treated both like I was beneath them and above them. So I left them behind and focused on my task. I'd never had anyone I'd wanted to trust before.

I bury my face in the lavender smelling sheets and try to ignore the dull ache that was starting to build. I shouldn't want his faith, his trust. I shouldn't want to take pride in being able cause the smile I'd seen during Biteology. But I did, do.

For some goddess forsaken reason, I want him to trust me wholeheartedly, to believe every word I said and never doubt me. I want to see his grey eyes warm with a smile and know that he was smiling at me, the real me, not because it was polite or proper but because I caused him to smile, to want to smile. And I especially didn't want to hide.

A silent tear escaped my eyes as I confessed to myself what I really wanted. I wanted a friend. And I couldn't have one.

In the world of witches, friends get you killed.

* * *

Le Me - Thanks for reading. I'd enjoy if you reviewed. Comment your thoughts, opinions, critiques, or questions and I'd love you forever if you favorited or followed me or this story. Again thanks for reading, see ya next chapter.


	6. Chapter 6

Zumachi-chan - So you guys probably hate me right now. But guess what? TWO CHAPTERS IN ONE UPDATE! YAY!

I'll let you read now and explain what all happened at the end of next chapter.

Enjoy.

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I couldn't help the soft purr that rumbled from low in my throat as the soft brush combed through my hair again, digging slightly into my scalp and scratching an itch right behind my left ear. The laugh like silk came from behind me as the brush pulled another bundle of stands back to an awaiting hand.

"For how much you complain about doing your own hair," commented Emilia as she continued to brush my hair. "You seem to love it when I do it."

I opened one eye, barely, to glance through the gilded mirror at my mistress. "That's because my hair listens to you when you try to do something with it. The only agreement we've come to is I let it do whatever it wants and it doesn't get in my way."

"You say that, yet," Emilia twisted the dark locks up, pinning it with some jeweled pins. "It's always in your eyes."

I just shrug in response then wince as a pin scrapes my scalp.

"There done."

I hesitate a second before opening my eyes. Before me what I see is astounding. My usually untamable hair has been twisted up high behind my ears. I turn my head and see the base of a bun and waterfall of curls escaping from it. Two stray piece of my ebony hair frame my face in soft tight curls. The entire bun is covered in a pattern of red and white crystal pins that sparkle as they catch the light and I notice the pattern resembles one of my markings, the one across my shoulder blades that resemble wings.

"Try your glamour," Emilia says as I face forward again, staring at my face like I don't recognize it.

In the breadth of a blink, I've changed. My skin, my eyes, my ear are all replaced and a human girl sits before me. I glance up queerly at the hair do that's still intact.

"I put a spell on the pins," Emilia explains. "As long as at least one pin is in your hair, your glamour will reflect whatever I do to your real hair."

I glance back at the young lady that stands proud at her masterpiece. She gives me a warm smile as my green eyes meet her gray.

In the split second our eyes meet I can't help but to compare us. Many a gentlemen have called me beautiful but she is the real beauty.

Silver grey eyes set in a heart shaped face. Straight ebony hair curled for the occasion, her Blackwell Mark as white as moonlight amongst the black. Carmine lips that are easy to smile. A body designed to fit any dress and make it better just by being worn.

Out of everyone at any ball we've been to, my mistress out shines them all. I glance back at my own reflection. As for me, I am like quartz compared to a diamond. Pretty on its own but nothing in the face of reality.

I let my glamour fall. Even in this for I was nothing.

Sure I was an exotic beauty. Jet black fur silky to the touch, hair that glowed in jeweled hues and never seemed to be exactly one shade of black, high cheek bones and clear jade eyes, intricate pure white designs that marked nearly every inch of my skin, a slim tall figure; no of it mattered though.

I was a cat. My tail, ears, fangs and claws marked me as inferior. I wasn't worth the common compliment unless in glamour.

The toll of a clock caused me to look away from myself. I first counted the chimes. It reported a quarter till 5.

Standing from the gilded vanity, I dusted off my dress and reestablished my glamour. I then looked for my mistress.

I'd assumed she'd gone off to fetch her slippers for tonight's ball but glancing around the dressing room, she was nowhere to be found.

"Mistress?" I called. I didn't want to take the chance that someone would be coming to fetch us for the ball and over hear me being familiar with Emilia. "Mistress Emilia?"

I exited the dressing room to check her sleeping chamber, but she wasn't there either. No one was. I checked the sitting room. Still no one.

"Emilia?" I called, not caring any longer if I got caught and received lashings later. This wasn't like Emilia.

As I was about to go and check the dressing room, the clock above the mantel chimed again. Something in me made me stop and count the chimes.

Three half chimes. Wait what? It was a quarter to 5 a few minutes ago. How was it a quarter-to again? I whorled around toward the grandmother clock. The hands were both ticking toward the heavens.

Dread consumed me as I watched the minute and hour hand tick and stop over the twelve.

The tolls of the clock echoed, even as I sprinted down the halls.

 _One… Two… Three…_

"No!" I breathed as I ran blindly. I knew where she was now. And I prayed with all my might that she wasn't.

 _Four… Five… Six…_

"Emilia!" I shouted uselessly. The tolls still haunting me just like this memory would always haunt me.

 _Seven… Eight… Nine…_

I muttered the numbers under my breath as I continued to race against the tolls. I feared what awaited me but I still couldn't help hoping this night would turn out different. That I'd get there before it could happen. That she'd still be alive when I got there.

 _Ten… Eleven…_

I knew this was a dream. A sick twisted memory. A haunting. But that didn't make it any better as I raced to the garden. Raced to the one place Emilia had said she didn't feel trapped. The one place Emilia had cherished.

 _Twelve._

The twelfth toll chimed and I knew I'd failed again, just as I had and always would.

She looked asleep. Her sapphire blue dress smooth and billowing beneath her, like a princess asleep in a meadow. Her face was calm and smooth, her skin still flushed as if she'd run all the way here just like I had. A smile brightened her eyes and cleared them of the fear of death.

The only flaw was a single red tear of blood below her left eye.

* * *

"EMILIA!" I screamed bolting upright in the peach sheeted and comforted bed.

The black molded to grays and muted whites that instantly blurred as tears raced for my chin.

I still had a hand reached out ahead of me, just like I had before waking; reaching for Emilia, wanting to grab her hand and beg her back to life.

Hope, life and purpose drained from me and I collapsed forward. Sobs wrecked through my body as pain tore relentlessly at my heart.

I hadn't had the dream for several nights, but it always came back and it was always the same. I thought I was home, I was deluded into believing Emilia was alive, that nothing had happened. I forgot the future and relived the past. Until I noticed the clock.

Then it would all come rushing back.

The sudden dread. The relentless pursuit for something inevitable and completely hopeless. The doll like stillness of her. The consuming and drowning pain.

I let the pain wash over me. I let it have its way.

I simply cried.


	7. Chapter 7

Zumachi-chan - Quickly I'd like to thank you for reading this story. I'd also like to thank those who have favorited, followed and reviewed this story: Mikikitty, Animemerer, TheGreatGodzilla, CeCeBear27, miceaholic, victoria cullen34, Samantha439, .395, Emeraldshard, morganoth, shattered-glass-slipper1, WyldClaw, M, pyroleigh, and the Guests. Special shout out to miceaholic for all the support and editorial tips: Thanks so much for sticking with me.

Thank you all. I'm eternally grateful to you all.

* * *

The little white butterfly fluttered back and forth among the clovers.

I just stood there watching it intently. It was either that or relive the Dream. I'd had enough of the Dream in the hours after waking. I hadn't been able to sleep, only cry until dawn came and with it a decent hour for me to finally get out of bed and head down to Senora's for breakfast.

So it was either stand randomly and awkwardly on the sidewalk staring at the flora and fauna mindlessly or cry my eyes out for another several hours. You can understand why I chose the former.

You can also understand that after crying for a solid 2 hours after only 3 and half hours asleep, I'm dead on my feet and didn't notice the car pull up alongside me until the window rolled down.

"You need a ride?"

I didn't turn around for a minute. I watched my little butterfly flutter a little longer taking in the scent his AC sent my way. Smoke and stone baked in fire mixed with the leather of the seats and chemicals from the car. For a second I debated what to do: ignore him or acknowledge him. My body moved before I could decide.

He popped open the door for me and I slid easily into the dark interior. After rolling up the window and turning down the AC a bit, he took off. For a while we didn't speak. I really must have been tired because looking back on the moment, things should have been different. Things should've been tense between us considering the way things ended last night. There should've been a hardness in the air but instead all I felt was peace. A palpable peace that had me sinking into the leather of the seats and the thickness of his scent that clung to the interior.

The atmosphere and my actions must have made a ripple because he noticed. "You okay?" he said, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye as we pulled up to a light.

"Yeah," I responded, his scent was making me drowsy. "Just tired." To prove the point, a large yawn stretched my jaw causing my ears to pop. "I didn't sleep well last night."

"Bad dream?" he asked. His tone of voice spoke volumes. Looks like he had his own night terrors.

"Yeah," I said. I looked out the window and watched the world pass. The comfortable silence returned and I relaxed further into my seat.

"Does it tire you?" He asked. I lifted my head from where it had drifted to resting against the window. I lifted an eyebrow for him to continue. He did when he noticed I was actually awake. "To wear it all the time?"

For a second I was confused; then it clicked. My glamour.

I shrugged. "Not really," I told him. "Growing up a Witch's Were you become used to it pretty fast. Sometimes I feel more comfortable in it than in my normal skin." There was still a weight in the air so I glanced back at him. "Why?" I asked.

It was his turn to shrug. He wouldn't look at me and I finally noticed that he was pointedly focused on the road, not so much as if he was avoiding me but like he needed to focus that intently on the road not to be distracted by me.

I instantly dropped my glamour and watched as a tension in his shoulders left. He finally glanced at me and gave me a shy smile.

"If…" I smoothed my tail, straightening its fur, plucking at the white hairs of the designs. I avoided his gaze unsure of what I was saying. I couldn't believe what I was about to propose. I hadn't lied when I'd said I was more comfortable in my glamour but for some reason his comfort meant more to me. "You can just ask if it's too distracting. As long as it's just you and me, I don't mind." I honestly didn't know what to say. It's kinda hard to find the right words to say your giving someone permission to ask to see the real you. Especially when you're used to looking like what you're not.

Something warm filled the car causing me to look up. It was his smile. The same one he gave me yesterday at school and the same one he gave me last night just before he left. I don't know how but it suddenly donned on me that his emotions had a temperature. Maybe it was him being a Hell Hound or me being a Witch's Were, or both, but I'd become in tune to it.

The warmth of his smile and my realization warmed my cheeks and I quickly looked away. I watched the scenery and noticed we were pulling in. But not into the school or one of it's parking lots.

I slipped my glamour back on as Tain rolled down his window and pulled upside window, a gargoyle hung out the window, the smell of fresh coffee and baked pastries passing over us like a perfume. A sign above him declared we'd arrived at the Coffin Bean drive through.

"You want something?" Tain asked as he fished out his wallet from his back pocket.

I glanced over the menu. Being a monster town, the menu confused me but I was finally able to decipher some of it.

"Grande cinnamon Cappuccino?" I questioned, sticking to the terminology I knew.

Tain smirked at my normie version of the brew but turned and gave our order to the ghoul in the window.

"A Hexican Hot Chocolate, Gory." The ghoul's head bobbed as He marked a cup with a claw. "And a Gory Sin-amon Cappuccino. With Willow-Whip on both."

The ghoul marked another cup then disappeared into the dark café. He soon came back with two black and purple cups. He handed them to Tain in exchange for some bills. As the ghoul disappeared to go get Tain's change, Tain checked the labels of the cups and handed me one. Its heavenly aroma drifted over me.

I instantly popped off the top and swiped a finger through the whip cream and cinnamon dusted foam. I couldn't help the purr as they melted on my tongue. Tain's chuckle caused me to look up.

He'd already grabbed his change and the window was back up so I dropped my glamour. I watched as he took a sip of his hot chocolate. We were waiting to join traffic on the main road, and if we hadn't been stopped I wouldn't have noticed.

As Tain took a sip of his chocolate he grimaced, like the drink was too hot. He glared at the drink then breathed in to it. Whatever he did to the drink made his eyes glow.

A passage I'd read in a book about the origins of Hell surfaced in my mind.

 _The heart of a Devil's Hound burns with the flames of hell. His skin of stone is the only thing that contain its heat and fire. Beware a Hound breath, for it can ignite even the most incombustible of items._

The eyes were what identified the Hell Hounds. They were distinct in that they mimicked lava. Cooling and hardening into a black with veins of fiery red and yellow beneath and igniting into full flown rivers of fire in an instant.

Tain caught me staring and I quickly busied myself in my drink.

I wanted to ask him more about his powers and the entire rest of the drive I had to resist giving into temptation.

Black meant pain. Black meant hatred. And that's exactly what color his aura turned every time he or I had mentioned him being a Hell Hound.

Something in me, something more powerful than my curiosity, didn't want to see him in pain, to see him suffer. So I kept my mouth shut, nursed my coffee and let the magic of caffeine erase my weariness.

* * *

Zumachi-chan - Tada! Two chaps in one day.

Anyway, I wanted to give you a heads up on what to expect coming up.

First off, I _technically_ don't have the next chapter written, so in all reality I shouldn't be posting this chapter. But see, I wrote like a chapter and a half of a future chapter and I have something I could use for next chapter, I just have to add filler, so yeah. I'm keeping up. So, it may or may not be a bit for the next update. It depends on how fast I want to progress and if I want to use what I've already written for next chap or not.

Other than that, I wanted to spoil you guys a bit. That chapter and a half I wrote? Well it's going to involve two characters, one of which is still my favorite Manster (I like him better than Porter). The other is a Celeb that hasn't gotten as much spotlight as Catty, which I think is kinda unfair. So she'll soon be join the folds of this story. Anyway, Nyx saves one of them from some kitties and the other helps out Nyx when she gets sick.

And that's all I'm saying.

I hope I'm forgiven and that I'll be seeing you soon in the next chapter.

Anyways, laterz. Peace.


	8. Nyx and Tain's Bios

Zumachi-chan - So I'm slightly obsessed with Bios. My story Madness in March started with a bio. Most of my stories do. This one did. I created Nyx. Then I made her a story. So to help me out of my writers block, I thought I'd fill out some bios. These are both Nyx's and Tain's Bios. These bios are from them about a chapter or two in the future so if you find something new that hasn't been in the story yet, that's 'cuz I haven't gotten that far in the story yet to explain it, for it to come up or for you to meet them. I made these bios so that you guys could get to know my characters the way I do. Also to satisfy the need to publish while I'm still stuck on next chapter.

Like always, enjoy. If you have any questions about what you find out, let me know and I'll answer them as best I can.

* * *

Name: Nyx Blackwell

Monster Scaritige: Witch's Werecat indentured to Emilia Blackwell

Age: 17 and still on my first life

Hair: In Were form, a choppy black that has under tones of reds, blues and purples and reaches my shoulder blades. In glamour, it's a flat straight glossy black that falls to my waist. A single white lock parts the black.

Eye Color: Green grey human eyes while in glamour but my eyes are actually a bright green with pupils that slit like any other feline.

Distinguishing Features: While wearing my glamour, I look like any other human or witch. My skin is a smooth pale peach with no flaws. It's a stark contrast to what I really look like. I have small black triangle ears that poke though my hair and a long swishing tail. My skin is covered in a pitch black fur marked with complex patterns caused by the magic I've learned and used; they're what identify me as a Witch's Were.

Colors: Black and White.

Creepy Perks: I have all the instincts and perks of a Werecat but I can also preform magic. This ranges from simple magic like making object float and move to more complex spells like disguising myself as a witch.

Freaky Flaw: My past is complicated. Growing up in the Witch World, is like growing up human so I tend not to understand most pop culture references or even the monster-fied lingo used by my friends. It also doesn't help that half of them don't know I'm not actually a witch. But it's better to keep in the dark than risk my past catching up and putting them in harm's way.

Pet Peeve: Bullies. I grew up forced into submission. It teaches you that titles are actually worthless and that the only thing really has any worth in the universe is the who you are to yourself. Mother Nature doesn't care where you stand on a political or social scale. Father Destiny shows no mercy when he sends his sister, Death, to your door step.

Hobbies: All my hobbies sum up into learning. Whether it comes to teaching myself how to cook, reading a book, practicing a spell or simply watching my surroundings, I always keep myself prepared to learn something new.

Favorite Subject: Social Studies. Learning about people and different cultures, and learning from them and their history.

Least Favorite Subject: History. It's all biased, based on the winning point of view. Yes, we should remember what happened and learn from it but not from only one view. Good can come from the darkest places, just like the evilest deeds can be started for the purest of causes.

Pet: I was never allowed a pet. They were a luxury I was denied. To make up for it, I simply make friends with the spiders in my closet.

Friend List: From my time at Monster High: Taint Hound, Deuce Gorgon, Mark Tudor, Ghoulia Yelps, Lagoona Blue, Cleo de Nile, and of course Senora Gatia. Outside Monster High and Salem: Emilia Blackwell.

.:..:..:.

Name: Taint Hound

Monster Scaritage: Hell Hound or Devil's Dog

Age: 17…. I think.

Hair: Charcoal black. It sometimes lights up with flames if I get mad or use my powers. I keep it shaggy yet short. The less attention I gain, the better.

Eye Color: Brimstone grey with veins that glow red and yellow. They look like hardened lava, and the madder I am the more molten they become.

Distinguishing Features: I look like any other Werewolf if not a little more dog like. My skin is a dark redish brown that looks like stone. Most people assume that I'm half Were, half Gargoyle because of the cracks that appear in my skin at times.

Colors: Fire and Ash

Creepy Perks: I have powers. I don't know what they are until I've accidently used them. So far I've found I have an affinity to fire, it will grow higher and hotter the closer I am and will react to my emotions. I can also do what I call a Shadow Pass. I simply disappear from one spot to the other in a trail of ash and smoke alight with embers.

Freaky Flaw: I don't have the best memory. I can't remember anything before I was 10 and if I get mad enough, I black out as well. I got so mad I blacked out for a full weekend. I woke up in a pile of ash. That was the day Mrs. Gatia took me in.

Pet Peeve: People who don't believe in themselves. No one should be afraid of who and what they are. You shouldn't try to become something or someone you're not. That's why I hate liars and cheaters.

Hobbies: With my affinity to fire, metal and machines fall easily in line. It started with finding out how things work. I prefer cars and more complex machines to fixing pipes and computers, though as long as it's mostly metal and can be taken apart, I can usually figure out how it works.

Favorite Subject: Fizz-icks. Without it, machines wouldn't run, gears wouldn't turn, pistons wouldn't pump. It'd all be a lump of metal. Learning how the world turns is just an extra perk.

Least Favorite Subject: Culinary arts. Fire may be my friend, but it doesn't like food or anything else that's flammable for that matter.

Pet: Almost every creature seems to be afraid of me. I have yet to meet an animal that doesn't fear me.

Friend List: Friends are hard to make when everyone is afraid or cautious of you. I've made very few friends. Nyx Blackwell, Jackson Jekyll and Holt Hyde, Casta Feirce and Robecca Steam are probably the few I'll ever make.


	9. Chapter 8

Zumachi-chan - TADA! Chapter 8... Wow. 8 chapters. I never thought this story would get this big or this popular. Thanks everyone for all your support. I love you all and if it weren't for you this story would've never gotten this far. Thank you.

Read on and Enjoy.

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9\. 25. 16 Update \- Went through and edited the last half of the chapter. I felt it was kinda sloppy. Nothing major changed, just rewrote some parts and added more detail.

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When we arrived at school, I accounted my lack of grogginess on my "Gory Sin-amon" Cappuccino and not on Tain and his car ride. Already I could feel a bound growing between us. We were like magnets. I hadn't figured out how strong our fields were, but I'd only allow myself to be pulled so close. That meant denying as much as I could.

This is probably why he look fazed as I dismissed myself with a slight wave and headed away from the school to find the tree I'd sat under yesterday at lunch. We were excessively early. The only people at school were those who had clubs or were in band/athletics. It would've been socially correct to hang out with Tain longer but I need to be alone. I wanted to release all the negative energy I'd been building lately. I especially wanted to release whatever was left over from the Dream.

My senses are good enough that I found my tree again with ease. Well, it wasn't my tree. But if it would allow me, I'd claim it soon enough.

I dropped my bags on the side of the oak and knelt down to pull out my athame from the strap in my boot. The blade wasn't remarkable and that's the way I preferred it. Simple steel in a simple steady hilt. All that mattered to me was it was cold.

Touching a hand to the tree, I presented to dagger to the tree and sent my intentions into the world. Feeling accepted, I found a dirt patch among the plush grass at the base of the tree. I sat facing the tree, right before the dirt patch.

Holding firm to the hilt of the blade, I cleared my mind. I paid attention to my surroundings: the rustle of leaves, the slow purr of coming cars, the mutters of birds and creatures, the serenity of nature not yet disturbed. I fell into peace and so did my core.

As I aligned with the peace around me, I thought of the negative. The Dream, Tain scaring me that first day, my confession, my fears, everything that left a bad taste in my mouth and felt heavy inside. I manifested it. I balled it up and put it in the athame.

When I'd collected it all, I plunged the dagger into the earth.

Then I let go.

Sitting back, I let the peace around me quiet me again.

* * *

I left the door open as I exited Ms. Bloodgood's office. I hadn't gotten to meet up with her yesterday so I made up fro it by finding her after letting go at my oak. We'd decided I'd join the Culinary Arts class for my art elective since I didn't want to join anything permanent like drama, band or choir and I wasn't very talented in the art area. I'm not bad with food though. Being a servant, you learn the basics and I'd admit I was pretty decent.

I was about to head off to my class or find the ghouls when I knocked to the ground. By nothing.

I looked around for what I'd ran into, but the room was empty except for Nightmare. Then I noticed the two auras standing before me. One was blue and the other was red.

"Sorry, didn't see you there," the voice of a teenaged boy spoke out of thin air.

I stared at the blue aura where the voice had come from. I'd met some of the ghosts at Monster High but they usually didn't float around invisible and solid. Usually one or the other.

"Neither did she," the red one said with a Scottish lit. "She can't see us genius."

And with that the two auras filled in and formed a set of teenaged males.

"Here lass," the red one said, offering a hand to pull me up. The blue one mirrored him. I accepted and both boys gripped my upper arms and pulled me up.

"Sorry about that," the blue one said picking up my bag off the floor and dusting it off.

"It's ok," I told them making sure to check my bag to ensure everything was still there. My athame was still wrapped in its scarf and secure in the pocket I'd zipped it into. I didn't know what the school's policy was on knifes, even if it was only a tool used for magic and I was a witch, of sorts, that used it. I don't think it would be appropriate if someone else stumbled upon it.

Thankful that everything was in place, I turned back to the boys who were eyeing me queerly.

"Ye'r the new girl, ain't ya?" the red boy asked.

I glance up at him. I hadn't seen him around the school yet. In fact, I hadn't run into either of the guys before me until I quite literally _ran_ into them.

I examined the blue boy first. His hair was black and shaggy, trapped beneath a dark blue beanie. He wore worn vans and was dressed in skater clothes: baggy hoodie with the sleeve scrunched up above the elbows and tattered jean decaled with a studded belt. He wore an easy smile that met his oddly translucent gray eyes.

The red boy was taller than the blue one, but only by a few inches. His hair was a bright solid red, not that orangey ginger color. He did have the freckles though and bright blue eyes. Red boy wore a white and blood red striped collared shirt with a few buttons at the top that was long sleeved, even though it was warm outside. He also wore simple long black jeans and some plain red converse. He didn't have any outstanding accessories besides a crested silver ring on his left hand.

I nodded in response to his question. "Nyx," I said.

"I'm Billy, and this is Mark," Blue boy told me. Red, or Mark, gave a small few finger salute in acknowledgement. "I'm really sorry about knocking you down by the way." I still hadn't figured out how he was able to knock me down while invisible if he was a ghost.

"I told you it was stupid to walk the halls invis," Mark commented with a smirk.

"You're the one who said it'd be faster," Billy retorted. "Besides I'm not exactly ghost remember."

My eyes darted back and forth between the two watching their little spouting match. Even though they spat like old fenemies they seemed to be good friends. I couldn't find any real hostility in their auras.

I smirked as their argument turned into a set of teasing insults. I would've brushed past them and left by now but their kiddish spat was amusing, not to mention they both stood between me and the exit and I didn't feel like getting knocked to the ground. Again.

"Bloody Baron," Billy retorted futilely. They seemed well versed in this game, but Mark was obviously a pro.

"Emo chameleon," Mark replied with his arms crossed a smirk firmly planted on his lips.

Billy opened his mouth to add another insult to the battle but the first bell of the morning finally tolled. All three of us looked up into the air, then toward the clock hanging from the wall which confirmed the time.

Outside in the hallways, we heard the bustle of students as they entered the school and made their way to friends, clubs and class.

"Excuse me," I announced before the boys could continue their spat. Both boys looked back at me as if finally remembering I was there. I couldn't help the small smile on my lips. I glanced at each of them then at the door beyond them, clearing my throat to make my point clear.

Mark looked at me then the door and, connecting the dots, took a step back. "Sorry," he apologized, massaging the back of his neck. "We'r in your way ain't we?"

"It's ok," I told him with a reassuring smile as Billy took a step back as well. "I've got time. But if you want to talk to Bloodgood you might want to hurry. She mentioned something about a teacher conference or something." It wasn't hard to figure out why they'd entered the Headless Headmistress's Offices.

"Right," Billy said, recalling his purpose before he knocked me down. I stepped out of his way and next to Mark, giving him access to the open door beyond. "You coming?" he asked the red one.

"Think I'll head to class," Mark told him when he didn't move from my side.

"Whatever," Billy shrugged as he backed up toward the door. "See ya." He waved good bye and turned to knock on the open door. I heard Bloodgood welcome him in before he disappeared into the room.

"So where ya headed?" Mark asked turning to me.

"Dragonometry," I told him. I joined him by the door, which he held open like a gentleman he appeared to be, and we soon joined our peers in the bustling halls.

I didn't need to go to my locker, I didn't know the location of the ghouls' lockers and I didn't know where I'd find Tain or Deuce so I planned to head straight to class. "You?" I asked. Mark hadn't ditched me at the door and stayed by my side so it was only natural to keep conversation.

"PD," he said. He was completely solid and walking instead of floating like I knew he could. "So how you liking it here?"

I shrugged. I honestly had nothing to compare this school life. I was tutored by Emilia and any social interaction were at galas and events hosted by the coven. High school was nothing like that. "It's interesting. A little overwhelming but manageable."

Mark smirked a knowing smile. It was a wicked smile that made his aura grow redder. I thought I noticed his eyes glow a bit red but I couldn't be certain. Also, I couldn't place where it came from, but the smell of iron was getting stronger, like the kind blood tastes like.

We paused at an intersection. I had to go straight but the gym was towards the right. I could see the ghouls up ahead standing around the door of the classroom. Lagoona and Frankie noticed me and waved. I gave a slight wave back.

"Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, fair Nyx," Mark said turning toward me, his accent strong and his blue eyes were definitely going red. I swore I could smell blood now. He took my hand and kissed the back of it in a low bow. "Fair well, m'lady."

He disappeared then and made his way invisible down the hall.

I followed his aura, lost in thought. Mark genuinely peaked my curiosity. There was a proper air about him in the way he held himself and talked and his gentlemanly mannerisms, that spoke of times in proper society like that of a court.

When I lost his signature red aura through a wall, I turned and headed toward the classroom dragging myself from my thoughts. The ghouls greeted me at the door and we soon headed inside to find our seats.

* * *

Since Dragonometry lasted for 2 time slots, we were allowed a break about halfway through. It was ten minutes where we were allowed bathroom breaks and get up to stretch while Mr. Mummy went out to get more coffee. As soon as he left the room to fetch his blessed liquid, the classroom turned into a bustle of noise.

I had taken a seat between Ghoulia and Clawdeen about halfway up the rows. Cleo and Deuce sat on the other side of Ghoulia while Lagoona, Draculaura and Frankie sat in the row behind us. Most of the students turned their chairs around or drifted around the class to find and talk to friends.

Currently, the ghouls were planning a trip to the mall this weekend: all five girls huddled together over an itinerary discussing which stores they'd hit and in what order. Only ones not participating were me, Ghoulia and Deuce. Ghoulia was reviewing Cleo's homework for next hour and Deuce was talking to Gil and the human looking boy Jackson who sat below us. I, on the other hand, was flipping through the Dragonometry textbook, recalling all that had already been learned before I joined the class. I wasn't quite prepared for the next train of conversation.

"Hey Nyx," Frankie called.

I looked up from the book and turned around to where the girls were huddled together.

"Do you wanna come with us?" Frankie asked. "We're going Saturday."

I debated the idea. I didn't have any real interest in shopping for apparel, which was why the ghouls were going, but I didn't really have any plans for the weekend besides helping Senora to pay her back for letting me stay and planning my next move. I weighted the pros and cons of going. If I went, I'd be able to get a better look at the town, maybe even find a job or a shop to get some supplies, I was running dreadfully low. But I'd lose valuable preparation time. I needed to move on as soon as possible and I didn't want to stay here longer than a few months but if I could find a job, even for a few months….

"Sure," I told them trying to smile. "What time are you heading out?"

"Around 10," Draculaura told me with enthusiasm. "We're meeting up with the boys at lunch then splitting up after that."

"Do you need a ride?" Lagoona asked.

I shook my head. "No, I'll meet you there." I didn't mention that I planned on walking. I didn't need them to worry.

"Okay."

The ghouls all had on victorious smiles as they returned to finalizing their master plan. I returned to my book trying to get a head start on next chapter, but too many thoughts were swirling in my head now to focus.

Too soon the ten minutes were up and Mr. Mummy returned with a large black Turkish coffee. I could smell the spices all the way from the third row. Students scrambled back to their seats as he pulled the projection board back down and the lights dimmed.

After about 5 slides into the lessons, Ghoulia passes me a note. (For the sake of the note, Cleo's words will be **Bold** , Nyx will be in _italics_ , and Clawdeen's will be underlined. At the very end, Ghoulia gets in on it and she will be **_Bold Italics_**. Hope that helps. And I apologize ahead of time for the OOC-ness)

 **Deuce told me about your tragedy. You can have my old Graveyard S6. It already has all our contacts in it. I'll give it to you after class. If you need anything else, just let me know. Us royalty must stick together.**

The note was obviously written by Cleo by the way the letters were sharp and bold. It took me a moment to understand what 'tragedy' she was referring too. I had to glance up to see her leaning back with a glow was emanating from her lap for it to click. My lack of a cellular device.

 _Thanks._

I didn't entirely know what else to say; I was still unused to all the charity and kindness around me. I folded the note back up and gave it to Ghoulia to pass it. I mouthed a 'sorry' to her since she was out message carrier. She rolled her eyes with a shrug and smile that said she was used to it.

I went back to taking notes, not expecting another message to be passed my way. Soon enough though Ghoulia passed back Cleo's note.

 **Not a problem. If you don't mind me asking, how do you know Mark Tudor?**

I sighed and wrote a quick message back.

 _I bumped into him on my way to class. Why?_

I passed back the note. I shouldn't have answered Cleo. Before I could read Cleo's response, Clawdeen noticed from my right and snatched the note from my hand and wrote her own message. Soon the paper was littered in a three-way conversation that was unraveling very fast.

 **Just wondering if there's something going on between you two. You have been very popular lately.**

Wait U kn Mark?! When did this happen? Ghoul U've been busy ;)

 _We just walked together down the hall. It wasn't anything special. We barely talked._

 **Talking is something special, especially when it comes to Mark. Taint better watch out. Looks like he has competition.**

I quickly tried to get things under control. My cheeks were burning at what they were implying. Yes, both boys were handsome in their own rights, not that I'd **ever** admit that to the ghouls; but I had no interest in becoming anything more than friends. It was too dangerous to drag anyone else into my life. I was already pushing it with all the friends I was making.

 _There is no competition. I'm barely friends with either of them. Sure, Tain gave me a ride to school this morning and Mark walked me halfway to class, but that means nothing._

He did WHAT!? Dets. Now!

 **Here, here. Spill.**

I sighed. I knew I messed up. There was no way I was getting out of this alive. I could practically feel both ghouls breathing down my neck. I might as well explain things before they made up their own mind on what happened between me and the boys.

 _Tain gave me a ride to school. I was walking to school and he drove by and offered a ride. That's all. When we got to school we went our separate ways because I needed to talk to Ms. Bloodgood. I ran into Mark and Billy when I was leaving Bloodgood's office. The bell rang and Billy went to talk to Bloodgood, so me and Mark headed to class which happened to be in the same direction. We talked until he had to head off down a different hall. That's all that happened.  
_

I showed the note to both the girls before I let them respond. Clawdeen was first.

They obviously both like U. Boys don't give rides to school or walk U down the hall just cuz it's the nice thing to do. U better B careful ghoul.

 **Indeed. Even if it was only for a few moments, you've gained the attention of some very interesting people. Be careful what you do with that attention.**

As Cleo passed back the paper, Ghoulia, who'd witnessed it all and had been my only sympathizer, added her own comment.

 _ **We may be a little over eccentric, but that's because you're our friend now. We've got your back as they say.  
**_

I looked up and found them all smiling. In that moment I could tell that these ghouls would be there for me no matter what happened, whether I liked it or not and whether I asked for it or not.

And that only made me worry more.

* * *

Le Me - So there you go. Again I apologize for the OOC of Cleo/Clawdeen but its kinda hard to write characters that aren't yours. There's not really a way of writing it so that I'll come out exactly like the original. Each author adds there own twist to the characters.

Anyways, I've been planning ahead and actually plotting out what's gonna happen next. That was my real big issue and why I haven't updated in a while. Next chap will probably be about Nyx at the mall with the girls and Mark will be making more appearances as well. I didn't exactly explain who he is yet, don't worry, he's no one bad. But if you can guess who he is I'll give you a sneak peak at a future chapter. Hint - pay attention to his and Billy's back and forth and his last name. That's all the clues I'm giving you. First three to guess it write gets a preview. (This does not apply to Miceaholic who helped me come up with the idea, though I'm willing to share the preview if you want to see it).

Well that's all I got for now. See you next time. Peace.


End file.
